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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — in a race
  10. degree — from a university
  11. field — a subject
  12. face — to confront
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com